SHOW BOAT! Midtåsen, in the park – July 7 at 20.00
Show boat was one of the first really great musicals! The story takes place on the steamboat Cotton Blossom cruising the Mississippi. Did the founder of Midtåsen arrange any shows abord his ships? And did you know that a world-famous opera singer got a lift with a Jahre-ship from Europe to New York in 1939 – probably to join the soloists at the Metropolitan Opera. We fantasize over this fact in a wide range of music at the opening of this summer’s festival!

Christina Jønsi, Mariann Fjeld Solberg, Mathilde Salmi Marjavara, Tone Braaten, Jørgen Backer, Ole Morten Velde and Simen Bredesen – accompanied by Ivar Anton Waagaard.

MERRY PRANKS! Wind quintet and piano Arnebergstuen – July 9 at 19.00
Did you read about “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks” at school? The composer Richard Strauss liked the stories about the crazy guy – who fooled everyone from craftsmen to noblemen, and even the Pope – and composed a fantastic piece of music by the same name. With this music the wind quintet with members of the Oslo Philharmonic and the pianist Christian Ihle Hadland conclude the first chamber concert of the festival – after having performed music by J. Ibert, D. Milhaud, M. Arnold and F. Poulenc.

Tom Ottar Andreassen, flute, Joäo Miguel Silva, obo, Leif Arne T. Pedersen, clarinet,
Ole Kristian Dahl, bassoon, Maxim Semenov, horn, Christian Ihle Hadland, piano.

EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK! Arnebergstuen – July 10. at 19.00
While celebrating Midtåsen – 500!!! it‘s nice to remind ourselves about where it all started back in 1996 – with the arrangement Eine kleine Nachtmusik in The Mozart Garden. Johannes Schantz and Brage Sæbø, violin, Arthur Bedouelle, viola and Ingvild Nesdal Sandnes, cello, perform this favourite work, Miklós Rózsas duets for two violins and Maurice Ravel’s string quartet. Lovely to listen to such beautiful evening music at Midtåsen.

RACHMANINOV – MASTER PIANIST! Arnebergstuen – July 11. at 19.00
We realized that the name Rachmaninov attracts audiences everywhere – these days mainly as a composer. But he himself was also one of the very finest pianists. What music did he play in his own concerts? We tried to find out and got a very interesting answer: he played all the great pianist/composers – Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt – and his own works. So let’s do the same!

SCULPTURE – Sounds in Stone? Midtåsen Sculpture Pavilion – July 13 and 14 at 15.00
Silence Concerts – KIs meditative concerts – have been highlights at festivals since the pavilion was inaugurated 15 years ago. Knut Steen’s marble sculptures have inspired us a lot – together with the pavilion’s acoustic and the closeness to nature and the universe. We like to ask ourselves: are there any sounds in the Stone? Ludvig Gudim – the Equinor Scholarship winner 2024 – answers with Brustads Eventyrsuite, Ysaÿes Ballade and Bachs Chaconne – which is definitely “carved in stone”!

FRENCH EVENING Scandic Park Sandefjord, Bankettsalen – July 13 at 19.00
On the French National Day, we have the honour of inviting you to a French Evening. The Bankettsalen at Park Hotel is the venue where the singers and pianist present a wide range of French and French-inspired music from operas, operettas and musicals alongside a lovely 5-course meal prepared by the hotel’s chef!

SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE CINEMA! Arnebergstuen – July 14 at 19.00
People just love music from films! The pianist Ivar Anton Waagaard takes us on a musical journey – from the times of Chaplin’s Limelight – Over the rainbow and on Moon River together with the singers Tone Braaten, Eira Huse, Jørgen Backer and Simen Bredesen and the violinist Ludvig Gudim. We guarantee a Cinema Paradiso and A time for us – Dreaming of tomorrow………On the back row…..

AMATIS TRIO – ECHO! Arnebergstuen – July 16. at 19.00
Amatis Trio is Europe’s only full-time piano trio. Lea Hausmann, violin, Samuel Shepherd, cello and Mengjie Han, piano, received a standing ovation for their performances at Midtåsen last year! Our audience demanded that the trio had to come back – very soon! So, this year is a kind of an echo! But – ECHO stands for European Concert Hall Organization and means that they regularly play at the greatest venues on the continent – and at Midtåsen! This summer they’ll perform Beethoven’s Piano Trio, opus 1 no. 1; Suk’s Elegi, opus 23 and Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio no. 2 in c minor.

OPERETTA EVENING Arnebergstuen – July 17 at 19.00
Arnebergstuen at Midtåsen looks exactly like the great halls of Viennese castles – and is the perfect place for an Operetta Evening. Prince Orlovsky invites us to a ball with The Bat, The Merry Widow and The Csardasfürstin. Charming operetta melodies are performed in between a tempting 5-course meal that’s prepared by Unike Hoteller’s chef. Just drift away and enjoy! Wien, Wien, nur du allein…

TROUT AS THE MAIN COURSE! Arnebergstuen – July 18 at 19.00
In their second concert this summer Amatis Trio prepare Trout as the main course together with Eivind Ringstad, viola, and Kenneth Ryland, double bass. Franz Schubert’s piano quintet – based on the Lied Die Forelle (The Trout) – is a main course in any chamber music festival. As starters they’ll serve Mahler’s Piano Quartet in a minor and Liszt’s Piano Trio “Tristia” from Vallee d’Obermann – a perfect menu!

HAUGTUSSA – SONG AND DANCE By the pond – July 20 and 21 at 15.00
The mysterious landscape around the pond at Midtåsen is a perfect setting for Garborg and Grieg’s Haugtussa song cycle. Veslemøy is a young shepherdess in the mountains, and she enjoys picking blueberries (Blåbærli) and to play with the kids (Killingdans). She falls in love with Jon, but when he doesn’t come back, as he promised, it is a Hurtful Day. She goes to the brook… The young dancers Myrna Lømo and Ludvig Støvind join the singer Mari Askvik and the pianist Ivar A. Waagaard in a staging by Kristian Støvind.

CAFÉ MIDTÅSEN July 9 – 12 – 18 at 12.00
The daily Café Concerts take place on the terrace in front of the villa at Midtåsen. The singers Mathilde S. Marjavara and Jørgen Backer have chosen a selection of songs that suit the place very nicely – and Bernhard Greter accompanies them on the piano. You will also meet two of the Young Talents of the year! – Magnus Lille Haugen and Ola Sønstevold in the Motus Percussion Duo. Nice luncheon courses are served by Unike Hoteller. This is the place to meet with new friends, and together we create the most wonderful festival atmosphere!

CAFÉ NAPOLITANO – MIDTÅSEN I 500! July 10 – 14 – 21 at 12.00
The view from the terrace at Midtåsen is quite similar to the sight over the bay of Naples – where Mozart’s opera Cosi fan tutte! takes place. Sofia Nesje Enger, Eira Huse, Ole Morten Velde and Olga Jørgensen take us along on a musical journey – and the celebration of KI’s performance no. 500 at Midtåsen – together with Nora Arentz Hagen, who is one of the Young Talents of the year! Naples offers a great variety of music – but also culinary treats of a wide range. Unike Hoteller love to offer you the very best selection!

CAFÉ PUCCINI July 11 – 16 – 20 at 12.00
Puccini is one of opera lovers’ great favourites! Few have composed melodies like him. This year it is 100 years since he passed away, and we would like to mark this occasion.
From Lucca – where he was born – Vieni sul mar and on to more well-known places around the globe. Mariann Fjeld Solberg, Renate Ekerhovd and Simen Bredesen sing together with Bernhard Greter at the piano, and Julian Cach, cello, who is one of the Young Talents of the year! at this Café. Vissi d’arte – vissi d’amore!

CAFÉ KI? July 13 – 17 – 19 at 12.00
Kulturelt Initiativ’s trademark is KI – and it has been so since the dawn of time – read: 1996. KI equals AI in English. Someone now tries to use our domain in other connections. On the basis of this, the singers Christina Jønsi, Filip Håkestad and Sakarias Tranvåg got the idea of creating Café KI? Together with the pianist Olga Jørgensen. Based on KI, of course! And they were joined by Odin Andersen on the tuba. He is also one of the Young Talents of the year! They learned quite quickly that: KI depends on KI – but KI is not dependent on KI!

Scandic Park Sandefjord – Unike Hoteller